I. PAUL'S OPENING GREETING - 1:1-2

II. PAUL'S THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER - 1:3-11

III. PAUL'S CIRCUMSTANCES AND DESIRES - 1:12-26

Philippians 1:12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things
which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the
gospel.

Philippians 1:13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in
all other places.

Philippians 1:14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my
bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Philippians 1:15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also
of good will.

Philippians 1:16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to
add affliction to my bonds.

Philippians 1:17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the
gospel.

We continue with -

Philippians 1:18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or
in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

In verse 18 Paul indicates his attitude toward the preaching of the gospel, particularly
the gospel that is preached of contention (verse 16).

What? seems to be used in the sense of so what?, what is the result?, or, what is the
case?

Then is used emphatically in the sense of in fact.

Notwithstanding means except that. It indicates that Paul was more concerned with
the fact that Christ was being proclaimed than he was with the impure motives of
some who were proclaiming the gospel.

In every way suggests in every way possible.

Whether in pretence, or intruth indicates that all the preaching of Christ is under
consideration. Some of it is in pretence, which refers to those who preach Christ
of contention, who are not preaching Him sincerely, but who are supposing to add
affliction to Paul's bonds (verse 16). They are the same ones who preach Christ
even of envy and strife.

In pretence suggests with a false motive.

The other group preaches Christ in truth, which means that they are preaching Christ
genuinely and out of sincere motives rather than with a false motive. This is the
group that preached Christ of good will (according to verse 15) and of love
(according to verse 17).

Whatever the real motive, Paul is pleased with one thing: Christ is preached, i.e. is
being proclaimed, is being announced, is being declared, or is being made known.
Christ refers to the Lord Jesus Christ and means that His person and work are
being preached or proclaimed. It is equivalent to the gospel being preached. It is
the good news about Christ that is being solemnly proclaimed, that He died on the
cross where He paid for the sins of all humanity, that He was buried, and that He
rose again from the dead.

And I therein do rejoice is and inthis I am rejoicing.

Yea is used in the emphatic sense of in fact or certainly.

And will rejoice indicates that Paul is confident that he is not only rejoicing now, but
that he is also going to be rejoicing in the future.

Although Paul would have preferred pure motives for the proclamation of the gospel,
the fact is that the gospel was being preached; and this pleased him. Although an
impure motive will affect the reward of the one proclaiming the gospel, the fact
that the gospel is being preached enables people to be saved when they hear it.
Furthermore, the person hearing the gospel preached may not perceive the hidden
motive of the preacher; and consequently, he may be saved regardless of whether
the speaker's motive is pure. God honors His Word. At the same time, those who
proclaim the gospel ought to have pure motives.

Philippians 1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your
prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

For I know that this is understood as for I see that this, for I perceive that this, or for
I recognize that this.

What Paul knows is the rest of this verse.

The content of this is that Christ is preached or is being proclaimed (verse 18).

Shall turn is used in the sense of shall turn out or shall lead, and its tense and
mood indicate that it will actually happen in the future.

To my salvation is unto my salvation or unto salvation for me, where salvation
does not mean salvation from sin and its consequences. Paul is already a saved
man. Here, salvation, which means deliverance or preservation, is deliverance
from prison, deliverance from execution, or deliverance from the situationin
which he finds himself. It is not an eternal salvation, but it is a physical
deliverance from prison and his ultimate execution. At this time Paul was
anticipating release from prison rather than execution.

Through your prayer and thesupply of the Spirit ofJesus Christ suggests the
two means by which Paul expects to be delivered from prison.

Through your prayer indicates that the Philippian believers were praying for
Paul's deliverance, and the supply of the Spiritof Jesus Christ is the
support ofthe Spirit of Jesus Christ or the support provided by the Spirit of
Jesus Christ, i.e. by the support provided by God the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in
nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also
Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

According to my earnest expectationand my hope is inaccordance with (or in
relation to) Paul's earnest expectation and his hope.

And my hope is used in the New Testament of something that is definitely going to
happen in the sense of expectation. Paul's earnest expectation and Paul's hope are
two different ways of saying the same thing.

The content of Paul's earnest expectation and hope is that in nothing I shall be
ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be
magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

In nothing I shall beashamed indicates that Paul does not wish to be put to
shame or to be disgraced in anything. Paul has a hope, and he does not wish to
be disappointed in obtaining this hope. One thing which would cause Paul to
be put to shame would be if Christ were not magnified in his body.

But introduces a strong contrast.

With all boldness is with every confidence or with all openness.

As always indicates that this has at all times been Paul's practice.

So now also is literally also now or also at this time.

Christ shall be magnified is Christ shall be exalted, Christ shall be glorified,
Christ shall be praised, or Christ shall be extolled.

In my body, where body is used to represent Paul, is equivalent to saying in me
or in my life. It is an example of a part being used to represent the whole.

Whether . . . or introduces two different ways Paul wished Christ to be glorified
in his body: 1) by life or 2) by death.

By life is through life and implies by means of my continuedliving.

By death is through death and implies in Paul's dying on behalfof the gospel of
Christ.

Through death and through life sum up all the possibilities there are. Paul was either
going to die in prison, perhaps, as a result of execution; or Paul was going to live
and eventually be released from prison. There were no other alternatives.

For may be explanatory. It may instead be causal and understood in the sense of
because or emphatic and understood as indeed, in fact, or certainly.

To me suggests for Paul

To live is Christ, i.e. to be living (is) Christ or to continue living (is) Christ. It
implies that the sum total of Paul's life is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only
thing Paul lives for, and He is the only reason for Paul's existence. I am reminded
of similar statements in Galatians 2:20 and Colossians 3:4 .

Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith
of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Colossians 3:4 - When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also
appear with him in glory (emphasis added).

And to die is gain indicates that Paul regarded death (as the means by which he
would go to be with Christ forever) to be superior (or more desirable) than
continuing to live here upon the earth. It is not surprising that believers who have
lived for the Lord for some period of time would desire to continue to live for
Him; yet, at the same time they would regard death as an improvement because
they know they will be going to heaven where they will be with the Lord and
forever rid of their old sin natures and all of the accompanying difficulties. They
know that at death they will be able to enjoy all eternity with the Lord Jesus.

II Corinthians 5:6-8 - (6) Therefore we are always confident, knowing that,
whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (7) (For we
walk by faith, not by sight:) (8) We are confident, I say, and willing rather
to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord (emphasis
added).